Blow Cold

U.S. optimism (TIME, May 25) had rolled up like a giant wave. The news from Washington, gusty and robust, kicked it higher. The Pacific War Council said that even in the Far East the situation was "not bad." Even conservative Cordell Hull told newsmen that victory looked closer.

Suddenly Washington looked at the wave and grew afraid. It was mounting too high, it might spill on a reef of bad news in a spray of broken hopes. Abruptly the news changed. Washington tried to drive the wave back.

First a "high official" puffed: "Disappointments are ahead. . . ." Cordell Hull now blew back: "We can too easily be over-optimistic." President Roosevelt warned that the war would be awfully long; that swings of optimism and pessimism should be avoided.

High & Low. But only a few hours later, Franklin Roosevelt reported on the Battle of the Atlantic. Shipyards, he declared, had performed a "near-miracle." Though submarines had taken heavy toll, "that problem is being solved."

Franklin Roosevelt thus was optimistic himself about the Battle of the Atlantic, which was now a major defeat. The U.S. people, high & low, throve on hope, withered on gloom.

Few Americans actually, honestly believed that victory was only days, weeks or months away. They all knew that, if the best came to pass in Europe, and the Russians beat Hitler this year, there was still Japan. But the U.S. would hope for victory in '42 until New Year's Day, then hope for victory in '43, and so on until the war ended.